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    Published: Feb 22, 2021 · Modified: Feb 22, 2021 by Loreto · 20 Comments

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter

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    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter. Don't know what to do with that cauliflower sitting in the fridge? How about steaming it and tossing it in lemon and further more, adding capers? This is a side dish that packs some wonderful flavor and texture!

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-plated with fork-view from top

    Cauliflower has come a long way since the days of seeing it on a plate lifeless and lacking creativity. I love this vegetable, it really takes on lovely flavor with whatever you put with it. More so, its sweet earthiness is a perfect accompaniment to lemon, butter, capers, and some heat from chili flakes, giving our taste buds something to talk about. Looking for a side dish? Give this one a try!

    Capers?

    To tell you the truth the only thing I knew about capers years ago was that someone put it in grilled cheese to make it more gourmet. I always thought it was something that came from the sea. However I later found out that it grows on a bush and is similar to a berry.

    You can usually find it in the condiment and pickle area of your grocery store. Some are packed in a jar with brine, while others and preserved in coarse sea salt. The flavor is hard to describe, perhaps floral with an edge of acidity.

    If you have never tried them I highly recommend it and today I am going to show you how to use them in this side dish Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter!

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-ingredients on a white board

    A great side dish with few ingredients

    This dish has not many ingredients. For the spices:

    • Salt
    • pepper
    • paprika

    To kick it up some:

    • butter
    • capers
    • Kalamata olives
    • lemon juice

    Garnishing:

    • fresh chopped parsley
    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-prep-capers in the pan

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower

    This recipe takes 15 minutes or less to prepare. The cauliflower goes into a pot of boiling water or steamer till fork tender. While that is happening we can make the caper butter sauce. Firstly we toss butter, capers, olives, chili flakes, and a nice squeeze of lemon juice. Secondly turn on the heat and get those ingredients acquainted to develop our sauce.

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-prep-cauliflower mixed with capers in the pan

    The next step

    The cauliflower is beautifully fork tender. It is important to not overcook this vegetable, because it will turn into a mash and we will loose that texture we are looking for in this dish. Time to take the cauliflower out of the pot to drain. If you are using a steamer there will always be some moisture so let it drain. We don't want that water in the sauce it will dilute the flavor. Into the pan with the butter sauce it goes and a gentle stir.

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-cauliflower tossed with capers parsley olives in the pan

    Finishing this time savvy and flavorful cauliflower dish

    At this stage we need to season with salt and pepper. Furthermore, a sprinkling of chopped parsley for color and added flavor.

    There you have it Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter ready to be plated.

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-plated with fork-frontal view

    Love the flavors and textures!

    Don't you just love when you bite into cauliflower and it has a slight bite to it? However, the beautiful part is how it melts in your mouth releasing all those luscious flavors.

    We have this wonderful acidity from the capers and olives, and bright notes from the lemon. I love how there is a subtle heat coming from the dried red chili, more so, added pepper from parsley. The really great thing is how the sweetness and earthiness of the cauliflower really balance this symphony of flavor and texture out.

    Next time

    On your next shopping trip for groceries, grab that cauliflower that is calling out to you. This vegetable is wonderful. It stores well in the fridge, and has some great health benefits! You can eat it raw, in soups, in an Indian-inspired dish, with pasta. Furthermore, it is so good in this Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter. Serve it as your side dish tonight!

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    Quick-and-Delish-Cauliflower-with-Lemon-Caper-Butter-feature-in-the-plate-with-fork

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter


    ★★★★★

    5 from 9 reviews

    • Author: Loreto
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 15 minutes
    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 25 minutes 1x
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter. Don't know what to do with that cauliflower sitting in the fridge? How about steaming it and tossing it in lemon and furthermore, adding capers, and olives? This is a side dish that packs some wonderful flavor and texture!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 medium head cauliflower cut into florets and washed
    • 2 Tbsps butter
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 3 Tbsps capers
    • 8 Kalamata olives pitted and halved
    • Juice of half of a lemon
    • Pinch of red chili flakes
    • Pinch of salt, pepper, and paprika
    • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

    Instructions

    Cauliflower:

    1. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Toss in cauliflower and cook for about 10 minutes or until fork tender. If using a steamer it may take longer.

    The sauce:

    1. In a sauté pan throw in the butter, capers, olives, garlic, and chili flakes. Turn heat to a medium and melt butter stirring to incorporate all the ingredients. Turn off heat.

    Finishing touches:

    1. Drain the cauliflower and place  it in the pan with the butter sauce. Season with salt, pepper and paprika and gently toss. Taste again for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and serve.

    Notes

    You can use a vegetable steamer to cook the cauliflower. It may take a bit longer to get it to the texture you want.

    You could substitute the Kalamata olives with anchovies to get the same umami. Give it a try! 

    • Category: side dishes
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: Mediterranean

    Keywords: cauliflower, evo oil, garlic, side dish, Mediterranean cuisine, capers, Kalamata olives, vegetarian, lemon,

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @sugarlovespices on Instagram and hashtag it #sugarlovespices

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes
    Quick and Delish Cauliflower with Lemon Caper Butter-some plated with fork-lemon on the side
    • 6
    • 1
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    Loreto

    When I am not cooking, I enjoy playing musical instruments, singing, writing. I have learned over the years to live in gratitude and enjoy the moment. Dig deeper →

    Previous Post: « Capricciosa Pizza, Italian Classic Pizza Capricciosa
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marta says

      February 22, 2021 at 8:29 pm

      I love the tart and briniess, especially with the mellow flavor of cauliflower.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 23, 2021 at 3:07 pm

        Thank you Marta. Yes the capers, olives, and lemon juice sure give some bright notes to the cauliflower. Its a great match.
        Have a great day!
        Cheers!

        Reply
    2. Amanda Dixon says

      February 23, 2021 at 5:02 pm

      I love making cauliflower, but sometimes I can get into a rut. This was such a great new take! The lemon butter added such a decadent touch, and I just loved the flavor of the capers. Delicious!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 25, 2021 at 11:53 am

        Thanks Amanda, So happy that you gave this a try. It is such a wonderful dish, bright flavors and you are so right about the lemon butter and capers, delicious!
        Happy cooking!

        Reply
    3. HEATHER PERINE says

      February 24, 2021 at 8:39 am

      Delicious! And loved the flavors going in here. I love lemon and capers and it was wonderful paired with the cauliflower!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 25, 2021 at 11:51 am

        Thank you so much Heather. All good Mediterranean flavors that just compliment the cauliflower SO MUCH. really ENJOYED THIS SIDE!
        cHEERS!

        Reply
    4. Beth says

      February 26, 2021 at 3:03 am

      Olives and capers would be perfect to wake up the mild flavor of the cauliflower, I love everything about this combination.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 26, 2021 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you so much. It was a fantastic side dish. You are so right about the olive and capers!
        Cheers!

        Reply
    5. Kathryn says

      February 26, 2021 at 8:41 am

      This made such a delicious side dish! Love new recipes with cauliflower and the capers and olives made this perfect! Thank you!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 26, 2021 at 2:10 pm

        You are very welcome Kathryn, so happy you enjoyed it with those capers and olives. Such bright vibrant flavors.
        Happy cooking!

        Reply
    6. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

      February 26, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      Oh wow I am so loving this! I have a huge lemon tree that is producing more lemons than I can keep up. This recipe is perfect and so simple! I love the addition of the capers too!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        February 26, 2021 at 4:07 pm

        Wow Lori, very lucky to have a lemon tree at your disposal! I can see some limoncello in your future! lol. But for now this recipe is perfect with your lemons!
        Have a wonderful weekend!

        Reply
    7. Leslie says

      February 27, 2021 at 9:12 am

      I seriously LOVE how versatile cauliflower is! And thank goodness for recipes like this to show us all the amazing ways to enjoy this vegetable! Great recipe!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        March 01, 2021 at 11:23 am

        Thank you Leslie, always trying to help those underrated veggies come to the top ranks, and this cauliflower dish definitely did that!
        Cheers!

        Reply
    8. Jacqueline Debono says

      February 28, 2021 at 10:13 am

      This cauliflower dish is a little similar to how my Sicilian hubby makes cauliflower or broccoli. He adds capers, olives, garlic and red chili, but no butter. Definitely a touch of Southern Italy in this! I love lemon butter and capers together. On my to make list!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        March 01, 2021 at 11:27 am

        Thanks Jaqueline, yes it for sure had some southern Italian influences. The food of that region is so simple fresh and very tasty. I think this dish would make the bar! Substituting olive oil for the butter.
        Have a wonderful happy cooking week!
        Cheers!

        Reply
    9. Tammy says

      February 28, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      The lemon and caper butter sauce really makes this dish! Sometimes a simple cauliflower toss is all you really need. Looks and sounds so good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        March 01, 2021 at 11:22 am

        Thanks Tammy, yes I could eat this dish on its own for lunch or dinner. It is one of those things you can't stop eating! lol.
        Have a great cooking week!
        Cheers!

        Reply
    10. FOODHEAL says

      February 28, 2021 at 1:34 pm

      Capers make the plain steamed cauliflower bold with flavor. I love this quick healthy side dish.

      Reply
      • Loreto says

        March 01, 2021 at 11:21 am

        Thank you and you are so right, the capers, olives and seasoning sure spike up the flavors to no end!
        Cheers!

        Reply

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    Hi! We are Loreto and Nicoletta, the foodie duo behind Sugar Love Spices. We love creating in the kitchen using seasonal good quality ingredients that we believe are key to the success of every meal. Come with us as we share traditional Italian recipes and so much more. Having fun in the kitchen is very important to us, and want to share that light heartedness with you. Nicoletta will help you with the sweet things, and I Loreto like to spice things up. Dig deeper →

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